ROCKFORD - Users of electronic cigarettes might get burned by more groups barring their use in public places as concerns grow about the long-term health effects.

The water-vapor devices, commonly known as e-cigarettes, change nicotine, flavor and other chemicals into an aerosol that users inhale. E-cigarettes look like traditional cigarettes, pipes, cigars and such everyday items as pens.

Manufacturers tout the devices as healthier than cigarettes and as a way to kick a nicotine addiction, but public health officials and legislators are concerned about health risks.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not fully understand the danger of using the product, the amount of nicotine inhaled during use or the benefits, if any, associated with e-cigarettes, according to its website. Effective Jan. 1, merchants are prohibited from selling e-cigarettes to minors.

"We have a lot of concerns about this whole movement," said Larry Didier, tobacco programs coordinator for the Winnebago County Health Department. "Nobody regulates them, and the FDA doesn't approve them. We don't know whether the vapor is dangerous or not.

"Until we get to the point where we know how much less dangerous they are, more places are going to fold them into smoke-free laws so people can't use them in places where you can't smoke regular cigarettes."

The concerns

Didier said flavored juices that contain nicotine may appeal more to younger people and get them hooked on smoking despite decreasing rates of teen smoking in recent years.

He also questioned whether most people are using e-cigarettes to help quit smoking or just using them in places where they're not allowed to smoke tobacco cigarettes.

Several groups have acted on those concerns and on the lack of data about e-cigarettes.

Rockford and Swedish­American health systems ban e-cigarettes on their properties as part of their smoke-free campus policies.

Heidi Elsbree, vice president of people and culture at Rockford Health System, said the policy was amended last year for e-cigarettes. She said nurses brought up the concern, saying people were bringing them into and using them in the hospital.

RHS went smoke-free in 2006.

"The electronic cigarette is an unapproved nicotine-delivery device, unregulated by the FDA," RHS policy reads. "The FDA has concluded that e-cigarettes pose acute health risks and contain detectable levels of carcinogens and toxic chemicals. They are not a proven safe alternative to smoking, and no scientific evidence at this time has shown that they help smokers quit."

Leave them at home

Ellen Genrich, spokeswoman for the Boone County Health Department, asked the Belvidere School District to add electronic cigarettes to the list of items that visitors are not allowed to bring on school property. She said the district's policy banning tobacco and alcohol does not cover e-cigarettes because the devices do not contain tobacco.

Dave Wheaton of Belvidere tried an e-cigarette for the first time Thursday. His daughter started using one about three weeks ago.

He also rolls his own cigarettes and plans to keep doing that in addition to using the e-cigarettes.

"They're a great idea," he said. "You can get different levels of nicotine and there are adjustable drags. They don't have a good argument to ban them because they're not hurting anyone."

'Ridiculous' ban

That bodes well for Lovevina Perez, who has tripled her inventory of e-cigarettes and accessories at Roll A Smoke, 6911 E. State St. in Rockford, because of their growing popularity.

She thinks banning e-cigarettes is "ridiculous" because the vapors don't hurt people around smokers the way cigarette smoke does.

Three e-cigarette display cases are to the left of the entrance when customers enter the store. Disposable e-cigarettes retail for about $10 each, and kits with e-cigarettes and battery chargers range from $30 to $50.

Customers can fill their e-cigarette tanks with liquids that have nicotine and such flavors as blueberry, watermelon, mocha and peach. Perez said some customers buy replacement tanks for $5 or $6 and fill them with different flavors so they can easily switch tanks rather than refill them as much.

Dennis Lambert, owner of the Tinder Box, 2217 S. Perryville Road in Rockford, said e-cigarettes help people who are trying to quit smoking. Users can put different levels of nicotine in e-cigarettes, allowing smokers to slowly decrease their intake until they stop using them altogether.

His store mostly sells tobacco and cigars, but if he can help people kick their cigarette habit, then he's willing to help.

"I'm not a scientist, but I know a lot of people have quit smoking cigarettes because of these," Lambert said.

The minor question

Freeport police Lt. Albert Marney said his department hasn't issued citations to minors yet because the law is so new.

However, it's a "definite possibly" that authorities will add e-cigarettes to their regular alcohol and tobacco compliance checks to ensure that businesses are not selling the devices to minors.

"They haven't been around long enough for us to have any calls about them," he said.